


til death do us part

by OneTailedTanuki



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneTailedTanuki/pseuds/OneTailedTanuki
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	til death do us part

Virgil loved Roman with his whole heart. They had been married seventy years, and it had been the best years of Virgil's... well, not his life, but it had been the best years he'd ever experienced. No one could match Roman's passion, his enthusiasm, the bright light he brought to Virgil's otherwise dull existence. On those rare days where he could sleep, waking up by Roman's side was practically magical. Though those days didn't come anymore. Virgil wasn't allowed to sleep in the same bed as Roman, not when his husband was in the hospital. He had always known these days would come, that their happy life together would come to an end, but god, Virgil hadn't wanted it to be so soon. He wished it could've gone on forever.

Of course, Roman had noticed something was off. He had noticed quickly. He had always been so observant when it came to his loved ones, which was one of the things Virgil adored so much. It had been subtle, almost unnoticeable, but over time Roman realized that while he aged... Virgil hadn't. Even as Roman had grown older, Virgil's face never lost that youthful glow of a man in his early twenties. Even when Roman was well into his forties. But even through that, even when that realization would've made others run away, Roman stayed with Virgil. Roman loved Virgil. 

And Virgil loved Roman. Fuck, he loved him. Roman was the one thing that kept him going when things got hard, when his responsibilities became too much to handle. Roman meant more to him than he'd ever know. But now, now he was losing him. Roman was dying, there was no way around it. He had a long, good life, but now he was slipping away. He was losing him. 

Virgil had known it was coming, he had known for a while. He could feel when souls were nearing their end, and he had been getting that feeling for a while from his dear husband. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. The idea of losing Roman was like a knife between his ribs, and everything the doctors said only served to twist it. He had lived a good life, he was nearing the end of his time, but Virgil just... Didn't want to let him go. It was selfish, he knew. He didn't have the power, he didn't have the ability, but he wished he did. He wished he could hold Roman close for eternity, keep him close and safe with him instead of having to reap someone so close to his heart.

With Virgil lost in thought, he didn't notice that Roman had fallen still. That was until the soft beeping of the heart monitor stopped, and he felt his blood run cold. This was it. Roman... Roman was dead. His husband, the one man he had truly loved, was dead and gone. He felt his stomach twist, his hands curling into fists as he did his best to hold back the ocean of feelings rising up inside him. He didn't realize he was shaking until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Roman looking worried.

"Virgil..? Are you okay? What's going on?" he asked softly, and Virgil felt his eyes well up with tears. His husband was standing right in front of him, in his prime. He wasn't an old man anymore, no, he was healthy and strong in his twenties. Just like Virgil. He lifted a hand to wipe away his tears, before steeling his resolve and standing up from the cold plastic chair beside Roman's bedside. He reached up, cupping Roman's cheek as his expression softened.

"Roman... You're dead."

Virgil turned him gently so he could see himself in the bed, and Roman's eyes went wide in disbelief. He could only watch as his husband walked over to his own bedside, taking in the sight of his frail form as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Then he stopped, turning back to Virgil with a worried look on his face.

"Then why are you here, V? Did something happen? Did you... die?" he asked quietly, his hands moving to rest on the smaller man's hips, and Virgil couldn't help but smile. Even now, Roman was worried about him. He let out a soft chuckle, giving him his best reassuring look, but it was tinged with a hint of sadness.

"No, my prince, I'm not dead. It's my job to guide you," he said, and Roman instantly understood. He gently brushed a strand of hair out of his face, pressing a kiss to Virgil's forehead.  
"So you're like my own guardian angel?" he said with a playful smile, intending to cheer Virgil up, but it had the opposite reaction. Virgil's face fell, and he almost looked... Guilty.

"No, I'm no angel. I wish. Then I'd be able to stay with you in Heaven," he said quietly, putting his arms around Roman's waist and pulling him for a brief, longing kiss. He wanted to be an angel more than anything right now, hell, even a mortal would be better than this.  
"I'm more what you'd call... the grim reaper. I'm the one in charge of taking your soul to the afterlife, where you'll be judged. Where you'll go to Heaven, my love."

Roman's face fell, and it was clear that he grasped what Virgil meant immediately. He took hold of Virgil's hand, lacing their fingers together and holding it tight like he never wanted to let go.  
"That... No, I'm not going to accept that! I don't want to go to some stupid Heaven. Nowhere is heaven when I'm not with you," he protested, and Virgil could only look away in guilt.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. I can't go to Heaven, but you? Your soul is so pure, you've brought joy to so many. You'll go to your own personal heaven, and you'll get everything you ever wanted. It'll be okay, Ro. You'll forget about me eventually," he said softly, and Roman's eyes flashed with anger. He pulled Virgil close, holding him tight with a white-knuckled grip.

"I'm not letting you go! I'm never leaving you! I can't just forget you, Virgil. You're my everything. On the altar I swore till death do us part, but we're both pretty much dead! I'm not going to let some stupid rules separate us. I love you, Virgil. I love you so much," he said, starting off loud, but as he continued his voice wavered and tapered off. He wasn't going to accept this. He didn't want to go to Heaven if the man he loved, the man he devoted his life to wasn't there. He sniffled quietly, resisting the urge to cry. 

Virgil felt tears well up in his own eyes, and he let himself cling to Roman. He hugged him tightly, holding him as close as he could. After all, this would be the last time. The last time he got to hold his husband.  
"I'm sorry, Roman. I can't change this. You'll be happy in Heaven, I promise," he whispered, hiding his face in Roman's neck to muffle the wobble in his voice. He forced himself to pull away, stepping back from Roman and holding his hand out to him. He smiled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Come with me, my dear. Please?" he asked softly, and Roman's eyes flitted from Virgil's face to his hand. He was clearly conflicted, and Virgil's heart ached at the sight. Roman loved him so much, but eventually he'd see that this was the best for him. He'd get whatever he wanted, he'd be happy... But Virgil wouldn't. Virgil would be so broken, but he'd cope. He had to. 

Eventually, finally, Roman took his hand. He looked... Resigned. Sad. He had accepted it, even though he didn't like it. The least he could do was make it easier for Virgil to deal with. He tightened his grip on his hand and pulled him in, wrapping his arms around him again. He closed his eyes, trying to savor these last few moments. 

When Roman opened his eyes again, they weren't in the hospital room anymore. The two were standing in what seemed like an infinite expanse of white, with no features as far as the eye could see. They were just standing in the white void, with nothing but the two of them. Virgil smiled weakly, trying his best to hide the conflict inside him.

"I'm so proud of you, Ro. So, so proud. I love you so much." He smiled, but once again tears started to freely flow down his face. This hurt more than he thought it would. He had been preparing himself for this moment for years, trying to get himself used to the thought of being without Roman, but it still hurt worse than he ever could've imagined. He leaned in, pressing his lips to Roman's for one last kiss. Roman drew him in, held him close, and they kissed for as long as they could. Though eventually, Virgil could feel Roman starting to disappear. He pulled back, watching with sad eyes as the love of his life faded away in his arms.

"Virgil? Virgil, please, I don't want to go yet. I'm... I'm scared. I don't want to lose you. Please don't leave me," he begged in a quiet voice, looking down at his hands as they started to glow. It felt so strange. It was like his soul was being stretched thin, his very being starting to fray at the edges. Virgil gently took one of his hands, squeezing it lightly.

"You'll be okay, Ro. I love you, and I always will," he said quietly, looking into Roman's terrified eyes. His heart ached, and he could only watch in silence as the love of his life slowly faded away. When he couldn't feel him anymore, that was when he broke. His knees buckled and he crumpled to the floor, an anguished scream tearing itself from his lips. He tried to be strong, to keep his head up for Roman's sake, but now he was gone and Virgil was alone again. Alone for the rest of eternity. He let himself scream and sob, until any mortal's voice would've been long gone. He wanted to lash out, to hit and break things, but he couldn't. It was a void. There was nothing for him to break. So he just sobbed, curling into himself and doing his best to fight against the ocean of grief that threatened to swallow him.

He didn't know how long he stayed there crying. Minutes? Hours? Days? He lost track, completely consumed by the misery he felt. He had lost everything. Roman was his world, his rock, the one thing that kept him going. He didn't know if he could continue. Then he felt a twist in his stomach, a sudden tug, a feeling that interrupted the all-consuming grief. He let it overcome him, the light tug turning into a strong pull that he couldn't resist even if he tried. His chest tightened, and he suddenly felt panic. What was this? What was happening? Was... was he passing on? No, his job wasn't done yet. He started to flail, trying to pull away, but he couldn't. The white void around him dissolved, and he squeezed his eyes shut in fear.

Then Virgil was unceremoniously dumped on the floor. His hands sank into plush carpet, and he hesitantly opened one eye. Where... where was he? It felt warm and cozy, like he was meant to be here. He picked himself up off the floor, feeling his resolve waver. Was this it? Had he finally been relieved of his duties? He didn't want that to be the case. He had a sense of purpose, of usefulness... he didn't want to lose that for an eternity of being alone and useless. 

He took a step, and then another. The place just seemed like a normal house, though the light coming in through the windows was just a tad too warm and bright to be completely natural. Then he broke into a run, intending to find out where exactly the hell he was. He went through room after perfect room, before he was brought to a screeching halt when he entered the kitchen. His heart leaped in his chest, and he had to do his best to control the noise that threatened to escape him. He was so full of hope he felt like he might burst, and no amount of willpower could hide the smile creeping onto his face.

"Roman..?"

His lover turned, his face lighting up when he saw Virgil standing in the doorway. He put down his wooden spoon and approached him, holding out his arms to the poor soul. Virgil didn't hesitate to run to him, wrapping his arms around Roman and practically lifting him up in his excitement. He smiled, burying his face in Virgil's neck.

"I told you. It's not heaven without you."


End file.
